Chapter 47

Silence lingered in the air. A minute passed, then another. Then a few more. All they did was stare at each other from across the room. Dhruv appeared to be looking for words, perhaps to explain his absence, but he had nothing to say.

Then he shook his head, his eyes lowering to his shoes. He licked his lips and then looked directly into his eyes. “I was scared,” he confessed, taking slow steps toward her.

Shanaya’s anger dissolved in a moment. It was as if she had woken up from a dream. The look on Dhruv’s face made her feel guilty for saying those words to him.

When he was right in front of her, he knelt down. He took her hands in his, running his thumb across the back of her palm. Suddenly Shanaya felt aware of everything around her.

His unblinking eyes were intently fixed on her. “Shan, I wish I could go back and fix everything. Trust me, if I could I would.”

She could no longer hold his gaze. Her mind raced, trying to figure out what he meant. Pulling her hands away from his,